Brilliant Walk a Mile Day
Posted by See Me, 21 April 2016
OVER 1000 people took part in Walk a Mile across Scotland yesterday, to drive home the message that mental health discrimination must end.
In the biggest single event over 250 people gathered outside the People’s Palace in Glasgow Green for the start of Walk a Mile, an event arranged by See Me and mental health activist Chris McCullough Young.
The events, which also took part in Renfrewshire, at Strathclyde University and Coatbridge, brought together groups who normally meet at times of stress and crisis, such as health care staff and those who have experience of mental health problems, to help break down barriers that may exist.
Walkers in Glasgow Green
There has been a significant rise in the number of people seeking treatment for mental health conditions, they currently account for a third of all GP appointments in Scotland.
Former social worker, Mr McCullough Young, said: “The idea of Walk a Mile is to get people who don’t normally talk to each other, who stigmatise against each other, and that goes both ways from professionals towards people with mental health problems and the other way around, to share a mile in each other’s shoes.”
Walkers in Paisley
Walk a Mile is based on Chris’ idea of ending stigma one conversation at a time, which he is doing while walking around the edge of the UK, speaking to people about his Borderline Personality Disorder.
In 2011 he set off from his home in Edinburgh with no money, only his mini trailer ‘Hubert’ and his rucksack ‘Darth 2’, relying entirely on the hospitality of the people he met along the way to help him on his journey.
So far he has walked around the edge of Scotland, through England and has made it to Wales.
People gathering at Strathclyde University
On the event in Glasgow he said: “My parents used to live in the Gorbals so it’s great to have this event so close to my family’s old home.
“Glasgow is a city that seems to think it is a village where folk are so keen to talk and share a story, and you can see that with how many people have come together here to challenge stigma.
“A motivator to start the walk was to show people this is what mental ill health looks like, it’s not what you see in the newspapers, it’s not what you see on the TV, very often it is just a person getting on with their life.”
Chris telling his story to the crown at the People's Palace
Eleanor Ogilvie, See Me community manager, said: “On his walk around the UK, and in leading the Walk a Mile events, Chris has inspired thousands of people.
“Stigma and discrimination ruins lives. One of the best ways to change how people think and behave is to make mental health a topic in day to day conversation, rather than a taboo subject people don’t want to talk about.
“Having hundreds of people coming together in Glasgow to have these positive conversations is a great demonstration of the change we want to see.”
If you took part let us know what you though with this short survey.